Robert Eggers' 2022 film The Northman, despite its star-studded cast and visual beauty, suffered a box office failure upon release - though this could still lead to a promising future for a follow-up film. Though The Northman bombed at the box office, director Robert Eggers made full use of his $90 million budget by ensuring that historical detail was attended to, and curated with the utmost care, intelligence, and reverence. However, a decent budget doesn't guarantee a monetarily successful movie, proven by the success of Eggers' The Witch and The Lighthouse, which both had more modest budgets and yet are considered financially great success for indie films.
The Northman tells the ancient Scandinavian legend of Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), and his journey to seek to avenge his father, King Aurvandil, (Ethan Hawke) after he was murdered by his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang). But Amleth is not a superhero and, despite his immense strength, is often forced into situations of physical vulnerability, demonstrating Eggers' attention to the reality of the Viking world, making it brutal for even the strongest fighters. Being his third feature film to hit the mainstream cinema, The Northman maintained much of Eggers' directorial style and attention to detail; however, it did not make the profit that was expected in its release week, making only $23 million globally - far different from the projection estimations of $70-$90 million.
Though The Northman did not receive the box office acclaim that was projected, this "failure" may pave the way for Eggers to pour himself into his next project without any studio interference, and perhaps on a more intimate scale - something along the lines of revisiting the remake of Nosferatu that Eggers' was set to direct, starring musician-turned-actor Harry Styles. In an interview with GQ, Eggers expressed that he is looking forward to his next project being on a smaller scale where he can have "full control", explaining that on both The Northman and his debut feature The Witch the influence of the studio interfered with his vision for the finished product: "There’s always give and take and studio notes. There always is. There was on The Witch." Because Eggers was forced to make changes in post-production of The Northman based on the influence of the studio, it is exciting to envision what his next work may look like with more directorial freedom.
Robert Eggers began his directorial career with his 27-minute short film Hansel & Gretel, before releasing two more short films, The Tell-Tale Heart and Brothers, which all had a small cast, crew, and budget. Short films tend to be a brilliant way to discover the next new up-and-coming filmmakers, and this was also the case for Eggers. The potential shown in the short films he directed provided enough evidence for producers to invest in his skills on larger scales, graduating to indie feature films prior to his Viking epic franchise. Eggers' skill and attention to detail on smaller productions shine through in the production value and demonstrate his personal skill. With larger-scale production, like The Northman, it seems as though Robert Eggers' style was not given its full wingspan due to interference from the studio in post-production.
Though The Northman did not achieve everything Robert Eggers had dreamed of, it has revealed a path to a more intimate production that will put his directorial skill on a pedestal where it belongs. Considering the scale of The Lighthouse and the masses of success it gained, Eggers' attraction to smaller-scale production is extremely promising, making the possibilities of his next production thrilling to imagine. As long as Anya Taylor Joy, at least, is attached, there is no doubt that Robert Eggers' next film will be a classic.